BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua)
-- Prices of farm produce in 36 major
Chinese cities declined for the third
consecutive week, official data showed
on Monday.
The Ministry of
Commerce said in a statement that
the average wholesale price for 18
vegetables fell 7.9 percent week on
week, with the combined decline of
the previous three weeks standing at
13.1 percent.
The ministry attributed
the drop to warmer temperatures and
increased supplies of
vegetables.
Prices of cucumbers
went down 18.7 percent, cabbages down 17
percent and green peppers down 14.4
percent, which led the
declines.
The wholesale price
of chickens grew 0.1 percent week on
week, after declining for seven
consecutive weeks.
The outbreak
of H7N9 avian flu virus since the
end of March has affected the
country's consumption of
chicken.
Prices of pork, the
country's staple meat, dropped 0.7
percent week on week. The values
of beef and mutton were relatively
flat, according to the
statement.
Food prices account
for about one-third of the prices
used to calculate China's consumer
price index, a main gauge of
inflation.
Prices of production
materials picked up
slightly.
The value of
non-ferrous metal and rubber both
gained 2.5 percent. Energy prices grew 0.4
percent, with a 1.3 percent rise
registered in crude oil being the
major contributor. Prices for steel
edged down 0.2 percent, due to the
increase of output and stock.
